Bethany Joy Lenz

Bethany Joy Lenz is an American actress, singer-songwriter, filmmaker, and author with a diverse career in television, film, and music. With a Broadway performer grandfather, Lenz developed an early passion for the stage, training vocally in New York under Richard Barrett, director of Brooklyn College of Opera, and later with Los Angeles voice coach Eric Vetro. Her professional acting career began with a recurring role on the CBS daytime soap opera "Guiding Light," portraying Michelle Bauer Santos. This role led to guest appearances on primetime series such as "Charmed" and "Felicity."

Lenz is widely recognized for her nine-season role as Haley James Scott on the WB and later CW drama "One Tree Hill." As both a series regular and recording artist, her music was featured throughout the show, including on the album "One Tree Hill: Music from the WB Television Series, Vol. 1," where she performed a duet with Tyler Hilton on "When the Stars Go Blue." Lenz also directed multiple episodes of the series. During this time, she released the LP "Come on Home" and co-founded the folk duo Everly with Amber Sweeney, debuting with the EP "Mission Bell" and releasing the holiday album "Fireside." She received a nomination for a Teen Choice Award for Choice Breakout TV Star – Female for her work on the show.

After "One Tree Hill," Lenz expanded her acting portfolio with recurring roles on Showtime's "Dexter," USA Network's legal drama "Pearson," and appearances on "Grey's Anatomy," "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," and "American Gothic." She has starred in several Hallmark Channel original films, including "Five Star Christmas" and "An Unexpected Christmas," and leads the series "Hope Valley: 1874" on Hallmark+. Lenz also starred in and executive produced the horror film "So Cold the River." As a solo musician, she has released albums such as "Then Slowly Grows" and "Your Woman."

Lenz has become a public voice on coercive control and narcissistic abuse. She co-hosted the "Drama Queens" podcast alongside former "One Tree Hill" castmates Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton Morgan, where she discussed her experience as a member of a manipulative Bible-based group known as The Big House Family. This experience is detailed in her memoir, "Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show (While Also in an Actual Cult!)," published by Simon & Schuster. The book became a New York Times bestseller and was recognized by Time and People Magazine. Lenz has been featured in People Magazine, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, and Variety, using her platform to support survivors of coercion and group manipulation.